So You Wanna Be a Blogger?

Do This First:
Pick which hosting platform your blog should live on. Joy Cho, author of Blog Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community, breaks them down:

WordPress.comBEST FOR: Techier types. If you don't know what <p> means, stay away. PRO: You have complete control over the look and functionality of your blog. CON: The endless options for add-ons and extras can be a tad overwhelming.

Blogger.com
BEST FOR: Essayists. Select this if you value content over visuals. PRO: It's foolproof to set up. CON: You're stuck with limited templates and customization options.

Tumblr.com
BEST FOR: The photo-obsessed. PRO: A wide network lets you reblog posts from other users. CON: Readers can't comment on your posts--lame.

The equation: 1 new blog post × 2 or 3 days a week = a happy legion of faithful readers.
If you can't commit to that, at least try to be consistent and post on the same day each week or month.

Major move: Naming your blog
"A strong name will reflect your theme but should also feel fresh a year from now," says Elsie Larson, cofounder of the lifestyle blog A Beautiful Mess (great name, right?). Write a list of 25 words that describe what you'll be posting about--and riff off of any relevant, inspiring references--until you find a unique name that you love.

WARNING!
Don't get dooced (blog-speak for fired) for what you put on your blog. Never bad-mouth your company, coworkers, or competitors; avoid posting inappropriate photos or videos; and stick to publishing your own original content. Better safe than sorry!

Follow the leaders
WordPress alone sees 35 million new posts a month (ack!). Take a cue from what some stalwart sites are doing right:DesignSponge.com: Six to eight new posts are published each day about crafty DIY design projects and affordable room makeovers.ManRepeller.com: The success of this fashion blog lies in its devotion to high style, splashy images, and funny commentary.TheBeautyDepartment.com: It features tons of step-by-step hair, makeup, and nail tutorials. But it's the chic, magazine-like design that really sets it apart.

Cheat sheet: Get noticed, now
Three ways to increase your readership (and credibility) from Jeff Bullas, author of Blogging the Smart Way:1. Build subscribers. Set up an e-mail list (using a paid site like MailChimp.com or ConstantContact.com) so readers can get new posts sent directly to their in-box.2. Be social. Share new content once on your Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Instagram accounts, and four or five times (spaced throughout the day) on Twitter.3. Use key words. If you're a personal trainer, make sure industry words like fitness, exercise, gym, and weight loss are littered throughout your posts so your content will be more likely to pop up in search-engine results.

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